Mr. Maher was asked Monday night if he thought prejudice was an underlying motive for cops who kill black men while performing their job. The comedian said cops have a psychology that is understandably molded by repeated interactions with the worst elements of civil society.

“I interviewed a policeman once on my old show and he said, ‘When I worked in the black neighborhood, I hated all black people,” Mr. Maher said. “When I worked in the Latino neighborhood, I hated all Latino people. And when I worked here in San Fernando Valley, I hated all the white people. I mean, you basically come up against not the good people. That’s who you’re dealing with. That’s your job. You’re a policeman — you deal with criminals.”

The comedian went on to say that although there is “something very wrong with police culture,” Americans should not “indict” all cops.

“Certainly, without the police, this country would look like that movie ‘The Purge,’ ” Mr. Maher said, Mediaite reported.

Universal Studio’s “The Purge” was released in 2013. Its sequel, “The Purge: Election Year,” was released July 1. The horror films depict an America where all crime is legal for 12 hours each year.

The HBO “Real Time” host’s comments were in reference to the recent shooting deaths of Alton Sterling, 37, in Baton Rouge, and Philando Castile, 32, in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota.

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